efficacy and safety of paracetamol, chlorpheniramine and phenylephrine in the treatment of common cold and flu syndrome

Conditions: Flu

Summary: the aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a fixed combination of paracetamol, phenylephrine and chlorpheniramine in symptomatic treatment of common cold and flu-like illness in adults in a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. the investigators included 146 healthy study subjects aged between 18 and 60 years who presented flu or common cold moderate to severe onset of less than 3 days (72 hours). after clinical and laboratory evaluation were randomized to receive active drug or placebo, five capsules a day, every 4 hours for 48-72h.the outcomes to assess the effectiveness involve the measurement of symptom scores, overall duration of symptoms, return to usual activities, use of rescue medication, improvement of the fever.

the upper respiratory infections are frequent in the population, and its treatment, in most cases involves the use of symptomatic drugs. paracetamol is used as an analgesic and antipyretic, whereas chlorpheniramine and phenylephrine is an antihistamine with a vasoconstrictor decongestant function. the aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a fixed combination of paracetamol, phenylephrine and chlorpheniramine in symptomatic treatment of common cold and flu-like illness in adults in a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * men and women between 18 and 60; * presented symptoms of recent onset, for more than 6 hours and less than 72 hours, characterizing one of the following conditions: the common cold, which consists of at least 2 symptoms among the 10 following: sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, headache, muscle pain, discomfort in the throat, sore throat, dysphonia, cough, fever, the latter being of moderate to severe intensity through a symptom severity scale of 4 points (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe). the flu syndrome, which consists of fever of at least 38.1 ° c and headache of moderate or severe intensity or myalgia / arthralgia moderate or severe using a scale of severity of symptoms of 4 points (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe). * adequate contraception if women of childbearing age. * ability to not use any other drugs for the treatment of clinical symptoms, except in cases of urgency, and immediate communication with the investigator, patients with chronic diseases being treated with monotherapy, stable over the past three months, could be included. * good understanding capacity and collaboration. * compliance with the informed consent form had been signed. exclusion criteria: * pregnant women or nursing mothers * known hypersensitivity to components of the formula of anti-flu drug * use of alcohol or illicit drug use * use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors or barbiturates * diagnosis of seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis in activity * presenting the diagnosis of any disease activity in acute or chronic disease exacerbated (uncompensated), including hypertension, ischemic heart disease, narrow-angle glaucoma, symptomatic prostatic hyperplasia, chronic renal failure, liver diseases, infectious tracheobronchitis presumably bacterial pneumonia, pharyngitis strep, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and any disease or condition that in the opinion of the investigator can modify the results of their study is not due to the drug under investigation or that puts the patient at significant risk; * clinical evidence of immunosuppression; * patients who received influenza vaccine for the week prior to inclusion * patients who in the opinion of the attending physician and / or the investigator may need to receive antiviral drugs for treatment of infection with influenza virus a or b (eg, amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir, zanamivir) * patients who in the opinion of the attending physician and / or the investigator need receive antibacterial drugs for the treatment of acute respiratory infection * use of drugs prior to inclusion by time intervals of less than two doses of these drugs (in the case of associations, considered as the reference half-life longer): analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids and other immunosuppressants, antihistamines, topical and systemic decongestants, and any medication that in the opinion of the investigator can modify the results of their study is not due to the drug under investigation or by an interaction that place the patient at significant risk * participation in another clinical research for less than a year.

Keywords: symptomatic treatment common cold flu syndrome